it’s MLK jr day and i have the day off, for which i’m very grateful. last week as rough for me. my workload felt like it quadrupled, i found out from a recent physical that i’m prediabetic (what. the. eff.), and the MLB released it’s report on how the astros cheated when they “beat” the dodgers in the 2017 world series. anyway, none of this has anything to do with this week’s post except that we go to NYC once a year to meet up with my brother (who lives in boston) to watch the dodgers play the mets. and last year’s trip was also when we went to cosme for dinner.

scoville sour: habanero infused siete leguas blanco, lemon juice, agave, spiced cucumber; gin & shrub: fords, dorothy parker, strawberry shrub, lemon, q tonic. — *scoville sour*: habanero infused siete leguas blanco, lemon juice, agave, spiced cucumber; *gin & shrub:* fords, dorothy parker, strawberry shrub, lemon, q tonic.

eating out in new york is such a different experience than LA, even before you step into the restaurant. it was a pleasant night so we actually walked from our hotel to and from dinner. the whole energy of the city is completely different, different chaos, different sounds, different smells.

the restaurant was dark and moody and very busy. we had to wait at the bar for a bit before our table was ready, but the cocktail and wine program were excellent. i particularly appreciated the natural wines the somm recommended throughout the night.

soft shell crab, yellow mole, shiso. — *soft shell crab*, yellow mole, shiso.

i loved that the menu was really quite seafood-focused - both the soft shell crab with yellow mole and the tataki al pastor were surprisingly good. surprising is actually a good descriptor for this meal. in general, i knew what i was getting into and already expected everything to be very good, but was still surprised (in the best possible way) by the flavors, quality and execution.

tataki al pastor, pineapple puree, cilantro. — *tataki al pastor*, pineapple puree, cilantro.

the dish we really went to try though, was the duck carnitas. it was the true highlight of the meal. you shred it after it gets to the table and assemble with housemade tortillas and various garnishes and salsas. it hits all the best savory, fatty, acid, spicy notes in every bite. definitely worthy of the hype.

on the other hand, the biggest surprise of the night was the corn husk meringue. i wouldn’t have even ordered if our server hadn’t highly recommended it, and it was heavenly. the textures and flavors were so unexpected without being overly sweet, and honestly, it was the best dessert i had in 2019.